>Certainly God could have brought about a miraculous clean-up that made
things look as they had before. But I don't see how you can declare that
that would not be destroying evidence.<
I haven't claimed that this work of God "made things look as they had
before." I don't think you can read that into the text. I do think,
however, it must have had an effect that we can't judge through our lenses.
A miraculous event by God in the past is not something we are equipped to
investigate with our assumptions of the present.
<<In any case, a global
flood would be a very significant act of God, that His people would talk
about for many generations. It would have considerable apologetic value --
if there was fairly unambiguous evidence it had occurred. So if your
scenario is correct, I'm left puzzled about why God would hide one of his
great acts from humans.>>
The "act" as it were was the destruction of all humanity, minus 8! That is
what was passed down generation to generation--the story of his judgment.
Why are we hung up on what the ground is supposed to look like? It is
enough that God has revealed what he did in his Word.
That, BTW, is God's method. He did not leave us evidence of the Passover,
for example. But he did command his people to tell the story every year.
<<Sometimes young-earth creationists ask me if I
believe the miracles in the New Testament. Jesus' turning water into wine
at Cana is an example they sometimes bring up. While the account doesn't
say "This is a miracle" in bold face type, it seems clear to me that it is
a miracle. >>
But it DOES say so!
"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested
forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." (John 2:11) And I
think Scripture is just as clear about God's hand in the Flood and
post-Flood.
<< It sometimes seems to me that the young-earth
creationists, with their naturalistic explanations of the flood, are trying
to take the flood -- in part -- out of the miracle category. >>
I agree with you. I said earlier that Genesis 8:1 may be a "theological
wild card" that deals a blow both ways. I'm exploring this option. I find
it stunning.
Think about that. Think about all the years and words and toiling that may
have gone into "flood geology," from both sides--one side to prove it, the
other side to disprove it--and it's all swept away by a single verse in the
Bible that's been there for 2,000 years. Talk about God's power. Talk about
1 Cor. 1:19!
Jim